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Camino Corto Master Plan & Implementation
 To
many, the words "Isla Vista" conjures up images of densely packed
college students. However, tucked away quietly in the western corner
of Isla Vista sits 24 acres of open space with vernal pools, vernal
marshes, riparian habitats, native grasslands, and coastal scrub.
The area, known as Camino Corto, provides an important ecological
transitional zone from the Isla Vista mesa to the nearby Devereux
Slough.
The County, the Isla Vista Recreation & Park District (IVRPD),
and the community of Isla Vista worked closely preparing a master
plan that balanced preservation of coastal habitat and development
of passive and active recreation onsite. Recognizing this difficult
balancing act, the American Planning Association presented the County
with an "Outstanding Planning Project Award" for the master plan
for this site.
This master plan has not collected dust while sitting unopened
on a bookshelf. The County and the IVDPD turned words into a park
enjoyed by all. Ducks, Great egrets, Great-blue herons, and many
shorebirds enjoy the restored wetlands onsite. Students, children,
and residents of the Isla Vista area walk along the network of trails
and learn about the unique vernal pools onsite through intrepretative
signs.
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